In this episode of As In Heaven, hosts Jim Davis and Justin Holcomb welcome Phillip Holmes in to offer his perspective on some of the differences between individual and systemic or systematic racism. Holmes connects these elements to biblical categories like total depravity and unpacks several examples from his own life. He shares the ways in which these things can manifest themselves as prejudice, bias, discrimination, antagonization, and hatred. The group discusses:

• Introduction of Phillip Holmes (1:11)
• Defining individual and institutional racism (1:48)
• Categories of racism (4:20)
• Why holding to gradations of racism is unhelpful (6:54)
• Overt racism vs. implicit (9:13)
• Racism and the sin of partiality (14:34)
• A biblical view of systemic racism (21:04)
• A need for reconstruction (27:46)
• Being racist without saying the N word (31:51)
• Total depravity and systemic racism (37:07)
• Holmes’ personal experiences with institutional and personal racism (44:01)

Explore more from TGC on the topics of race and slavery.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 

1. How would you define racism in general? When you think of racism, is it primarily individual actions or corporate?

2. How have you heard systemic or institutional racism defined? How would you define it? Are there any examples you can think of from history or today?

3. What are Biblical texts (both Old and New Testament) that shape your view of racism? What doctrinal convictions speak to the scope of racism?

4. How might doctrines like total depravity help us to understand systemic racism?

5. What hope does the gospel offer to broken systems?